The food industry on Monday rolled out what it called a "monumental and historic" effort to put nutrition facts on the front of packaging for processed foods and beverages, a change executives said is designed to help consumers make sound nutritional choices at the market.
"We developed this as effective way to bring nutrition to the front of panel, so consumers can begin to build a healthy diet right from the start," said Pamela G. Bailey, president and chief executive officer of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents the majority of processed-food and beverage makers as well as retailers.
But the effort drew immediate criticism from public-health experts, who said food makers were trying to get ahead of the Food and Drug Administration, which has been working on guidelines for labeling on the front of food packaging.
"You simply can't leave it to an industry with so much money at stake to label its products in a way to benefit public health," said Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University.
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Under the program, manufacturers will place an icon on the front of their products that shows calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugar per serving. The icon will detail the percentage of daily value each serving represents, according to recommendations set by the U.S. dietary guidelines.
In addition, food makers plan to include one or two of eight nutrients that the industry says consumers should be encouraged to consume: potassium, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, iron and protein.
The new labeling will not replace the black and white Nutrition Facts label which is found on the back of most food packaging and has been required by federal law since 1994.
The idea is to bring similar uniformity to the front of food packages, where different manufacturers have been using a variety of symbols, icons and codes to market their products.
The FDA, which regulates food packaging, called front labels as a "top priority" in 2009.
